Artist acrylics are formulated for application on art board, canvas and paper surfaces. Artist grade acrylics are formulated to be highly pigmented that create a consistency that is very similar to most types of oil paints that preserve the appearance of brush strokes. You should choose an artist grade acrylic if you are planning on using techniques such as impasto or knife painting.

Certain types of acrylic paint combine conventional pigments with powdered aluminum silicate to achieve advanced effects. Some of these colors are iridescent, pearlescent, interference, and an entire range of metallic acrylics. Most of the mixed pigment acrylics have a shimmering or mirrored attributes that are controlled by the consistency of the powder used. These iridescent are used in everything from children's craft projects to fine art painting created by professional artists.

Did you now that "student" grade acrylics are very similar to the acrylics professional artists but at a fraction of the price! Student acrylic paints have a slightly smaller pigment count and come in a slightly reduced range of colors. These small variations between student grade and professional grade acrylics are so small that only a well trained eye can tell!

What makes fluid acrylic paint unique is its high pigment concentration that is blended to produce a much lower viscosity that traditional artist acrylics. What makes fluid acrylics such a popular type of acrylic paint is that it mixes easily with just about any type of acrylic medium. Fluid acrylic paint can be used in conjunction with airbrush painting or produce watercolor like results.

Acrylic Gouache paint combines the best of a fluid like acrylic with all of the conventional characteristics of a craft like acrylic which applies with opaque characteristics and dries to a matte finish. Acrylic Gouache differs from traditional due to the fact that it uses an acrylic polymer that makes it water resistance after it has completed drying… This makes it a favorite for decorative and folk art techniques.

What makes Craft acrylics so great is that they can be used on just about any surface besides canvas. You can paint on wood, fabric, metal or even on ceramics. Craft acrylics are normally used tin decorative painting or even to create a faux finish…. This type of acrylic paint is normally used to decorate objects of ordinary line. Colors are not normally mixed rather extensive product lines are normally created to cover the entire spectrum of color.

Exterior Acrylic paints are made to with stand all of the elements of outdoor conditions. They are made to be extremely versatile and can easily adhere to many different types of surfaces. Exterior Acrylics are extremely resistant to water and sunlight so they are an excellent choice for outdoor signs, outdoor murals and a variety of faux finishing techniques.

Scholastic acrylics are a great choice for young up and coming artists. These acrylics use a less expensive pigment that dries quickly and in a safe format for young artists and is an economical choice for the classroom. The colors are normally limited to primary and secondary colors and the actual pigment types are normally unspecified.